Exclusive Release: Daira Team Up With Rap Crew Swadesi and Vocalist Kalyaani on ‘Trouble’

On their latest single “Trouble”, Mumbai alt-rock band and #merisoch propagators Daira, in collaboration with [Delhi-based vocalist] Kalyaani and [Mumbai regional rap crew] Swadesi call out the illusion of independence and freedom. Says bassist Govind Gawli, “Independence is a very common thing, it means freedom of thought and everything. But the main point is, do we really have that freedom yet, to convey what we feel or put out in our thoughts?”

Artwork for “Trouble” by Shikhant Sablania.

The boisterous rap/rock reality check, which was put together in less than a week earlier this month, sees Swadesi emcees Mayavi, Mawaali and Tod Fod spit verse about “acche din” and “samaaj mein badlaav” in Malayalam and Hindi respectively, while Kalyaani and Daira vocalist Piyush Kapoor hit high-power rock orbit [“They will hunt you, shoot you, put you down/You’re in trouble,” Kalyaani challenges].

“Trouble” also features artwork by Mumbai-based illustrator Shikhant Sablania, whose packaged depiction of India aimed at portraying the country as “a fragile thing like thermocol, like something that is on sale when you go the mall.” Says Gawli, “Through this song and the lyrics, what we really want to do is convey that maybe we don’t have that freedom yet but we can get that for ourselves.”